Flush toilet

Abstract

A toilet system includes a toilet and a pump assembly. The toilet has a bowl and a base. The base has a hopper for receiving waste from the bowl. The pump assembly is operative for pumping a source of flush water to the bowl and for pumping the waste from the hopper. A first flexible conduit interconnects the pump assembly and the bowl. A second flexible conduit interconnects the pump assembly and the hopper. The pump assembly is flexibly interconnected to the toilet for independent positioning relative to the toilet.

1. A toilet system comprising:
 a toilet with a bowl and a base, the base defining a hopper for receiving waste from the bowl; 
 a pump assembly operative for pumping flush water to the bowl and for pumping waste from the hopper; 
 a source of flush water; 
 a first conduit connecting the pump assembly and the bowl; 
 a second conduit connecting the pump assembly and the hopper; and 
 a third conduit connecting the pump assembly and the source of flush water; 
 wherein the pump assembly is operative in a first mode to open a fluid path extending through the pump assembly between the first conduit and the third conduit and further operative in a second mode to close the fluid path; 
 wherein the pump assembly further includes a mode selector having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion moveable between a first position and a second position such that in the first position the fluid path is open and in the second position the fluid path is closed, the second portion operative for maintaining a valve associated with one of the first and third conduits in a open condition when the fluid path is closed so as to avoid a vacuum in the pump assembly. 
 
     
     
       2. The toilet system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth conduit for interconnecting the pump assembly and a waste disposal area. 
     
     
       3. The toilet system of  claim 1 , wherein the waste disposal area is a sewer. 
     
     
       4. The toilet system of  claim 1 , wherein the waste disposal area is a holding tank. 
     
     
       5. The toilet system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump assembly is a positive displacement pump assembly. 
     
     
       6. A toilet system comprising:
 a toilet having a bowl and a base, the base having a hopper for receiving waste from the bowl; 
 a pump assembly for pumping a source of flush water to the bowl and for pumping the waste from the hopper; 
 a first conduit interconnecting the pump assembly and the bowl; 
 a second conduit interconnecting the pump assembly and the hopper; and 
 a third conduit interconnecting the pump assembly and the source of flush water; 
 wherein the pump assembly is operative in a first mode to open a fluid path extending through the pump assembly between the first conduit and the third conduit and further operative in a second mode to close the fluid path; 
 wherein the pump assembly further includes a mode selector having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion moveable between a first position and a second position such that in the first position the fluid path is open and in the second position the fluid path is closed, the second portion operative for maintaining a valve associated with one of the first and third conduits in an open condition when the fluid path is closed so as to avoid a vacuum in the pump assembly. 
 
     
     
       7. The toilet system of  claim 6 , further comprising a fourth conduit for interconnecting the pump assembly and a waste disposal area. 
     
     
       8. The toilet system of  claim 7 , wherein the waste disposal area is a sewer. 
     
     
       9. The toilet system of  claim 7 , wherein the waste disposal area is a holding tank. 
     
     
       10. The toilet system of  claim 6 , wherein the pump assembly may be flexibly positioned on either a right side or a left side of the toilet. 
     
     
       11. The toilet system of  claim 6 , wherein the pump assembly is a positive displacement pump assembly. 
     
     
       12. A method of installing and operating a toilet system comprising:
 providing a toilet having a bowl and a base, the base having a hopper for receiving waste from the bowl; 
 providing a pump assembly for pumping a source of flush water to the bowl and for pumping the waste from the hopper, the pump assembly including a mode selector having a first portion and a second portion; 
 interconnecting the pump assembly and the bowl with a first flexible conduit; 
 interconnecting the pump assembly and the hopper with a second flexible conduit; 
 interconnecting the pump assembly and the source of flush water with a third flexible conduit; 
 independently mounting the pump assembly relative to the toilet; 
 operating the pump assembly in a first mode to open a fluid path extending through the pump assembly between the first flexible conduit and the third flexible conduit; and 
 operating the pump assembly in a second mode to close the fluid path; 
 wherein the first portion of the mode selector is moveable between a first position and a second position such that in the first position the fluid path is open and in a second position the fluid path is closed, the second position operative for maintaining a value associated with one of the first and third conduits in an open condition when the fluid path is closed so as to avoid a vacuum in the pump assembly. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 interconnecting the pump assembly and a waste disposal area with a fourth flexible coupling. 
 
     
     
       14. A toilet system comprising:
 a toilet having a bowl and a base, the base including a hopper for receiving waste from the bowl; and 
 a pump assembly for delivering a source of flush water to the bowl and for pumping waste from the hopper, the pump assembly operative in a first mode to deliver flush water to the bowl and pump waste from the hopper in response to pump actuation, the pump assembly operative in a second mode to pump waste from the hopper in response to pump actuation without delivering flush water to the bowl, the pump assembly including a first valve in fluid communication with the bowl and a second valve in fluid communication with a source of flush water, the pump assembly further including a mode selector disposed in the pump housing, the mode selector including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion blocking one of the first and second valves in the second mode, the second portion extending through the other of the first and second valves in the second mode to avoid a vacuum in the pump assembly. 
 
     
     
       15. The toilet system of  claim 14 , wherein the pump housing includes a waste inlet and a waste outlet, the waste inlet in communication with the hopper. 
     
     
       16. The toilet system of  claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the mode selector is moveable between a first position in which a fluid path extending between the first and second valves is open and a second position in which the fluid path is closed. 
     
     
       17. The toilet system of  claim 16 , wherein the first portion is rotatable between the first and second positions. 
     
     
       18. The toilet system of  claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the mode selector is a flexible member carried by the first portion. 
     
     
       19. The toilet system of  claim 17 , wherein the second portion is a tether. 
     
     
       20. The toilet system of  claim 14 , wherein the pump assembly is a positive displacement pump assembly. 
     
     
       21. The toilet system of  claim 14 , wherein the pump housing defines a fluid inlet associated with the first valve and a fluid outlet associated with the second valve. 
     
     
       22. The toilet system of  claim 21 , wherein the pump housing includes a main body portion and a cap, the cap defining the fluid inlet and fluid outlet.